How to best prepare your child for Term 1

A new school year can be scary for kids, but also for their parents! Going into a new grade means, for lots of people, that a whole new stationery set is on the table. Particularly for students going in to year 7, a whole new world of different classes and new uniforms need to be prepared for. We here at Markitup understand how stressful that can be for students and their parents, so we’ve crafted this page for you to get your head around all the things you’ll need for school! 😁

Prep #1: School Stationaries

For students going to school, particular those going from year 6 to year 7, a whole new set of books is needed for class! While primary school generally uses exercise books only, high school now need grid books for maths. For maths in particular, we recommend having 2 grid books; one for theory and one for exercises. That way you don’t have to flip all the way through your book, trying to find the formula you need! Another recommendation (if allowed by your school of course!) is to use spiral books instead of normal binding. That way its easier to rip out a page if you need a mistake, or just need some spare paper to jot some ideas down.

Here is also a list of stationaries you might need to prepare as well:

7 Books: 1 x Maths, English, History, Geography, Science, D&T, Music
A recorder for Music
An Art Book
Pencilcase
Scientific Calculator (must be approved by NESA)
A folder for all the books

Prep #2: The Pencilcase

A student’s pencil case is their best friend during school! Filled with all the goodies they need, a pencil case should be carried with them to all their classes. Make sure your child’s pencil case is a large enough size to hold more than 3 pencils; too many students come to class with 2 pens and then get frustrated when they run out! Our suggestion is to always have a backup of the essentials in your child’s bag – a black and red pen, a mini ruler, a pencil and an eraser in a small case should do the trick! But in an actual pencil case, students should have a combination of black, red, and blue pens, lead pencils, an eraser, a sharpener, a ruler, a pair of scissors, and a glue stick!

Prep #3: Let’s have some fun

While having all your equipment in class is important, some students are more excited to get out for recess and lunch! We suggest providing some form of equipment for your child to play with during these break times. This way, you know they’re getting the most out of their breaks, and are ready to get back into the classroom when their break is finished! Providing a handball or a hacky-sack can provide hours of entertainment for junior students, and get all their pent-up energy out after being in the classroom for a long period of time!

Prep #4: Preparing the Calendar

I love calendars – it just helps you plan in advance so well. For high school students I would get started by writing out when school holidays are! I would also have a section in my calendar to put all my exam/assessment notifications in there, because I have noticed alot of students shoving papers (not even gluing them) into their books (ESPECIALLY BOYSS) and in that pile of paper is their notification for upcoming exams. What then happens is that 2 days before the exam – they suddenly remember. I would HIGHLY recommend that students get a PHYSICAL calendar to write in when their assessments are due in there everytime.

Prep #5: What’s for lunch?

Packing a healthy snack and nutritious lunch is a really easy way to ensure your child stays attentive during the school day! Of course, having a packet of chips isn’t going to be a deal breaker, but try balancing that out with a bag of cucumber on a hot day, or some freshly out of the microwave popcorn to keep them warm on a winters day. Little, healthy additions to a child’s lunch can have a major difference in their ability to focus during the day.

Bonus Tip for Parents

Tips for parents: Share some of your responsibilities. For the first day, teach your child to pack their own recess and lunch bags. The second day, watch them do it themselves. By the third day, they will be able to do it themselves!

These are some of our handy tips to help your child prepare for the new school year! Try implementing them slowly, and feel free to pop into our centre to let us know how you go!